Hypothyroidism and Autism Questions

Michi1382

Hey guys, 

Sorry to do a separate thread on this but I have a question for my fellow hypothyroidism mothers. I've been on my medication now for the duration of my pregnancy since I was diagnosed with this back in February. So far, my tests have been coming back with normal levels and numbers for my thyroid. I was scrolling through FB the other day and happened on an article that claimed that hypothyroidism during pregnancy is linked to the baby developing or having autism. I plunged into research and several other articles confirmed this statement to be true (or at least as close as possible to being true). My question is--have you guys had any experience with this, have you heard of it, do you think it's legit, etc. I guess that's more than one question, sorry! 

Thank you so much, guys! 

NoraAurora

Step away from the Google!!

ok. So there are only about a hundred or more things that "are linked with autism." Paternal age at time of conception, taking SSRI's when pregnant, *vaccines* (I hope we've all become smart enough to figure that one out), and so on. 

https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/initiatives/environmental-factors-autism-initiative/avoiding-toxic-exposures-during-pregnancy

The above link discusses the fact that there is a big difference between risk and and actual cause of autism. The bottom line for someone with a thyroid disorder is that you literally cannot have a baby (or a viable pregnancy) without thyroid treatment. Is it possible that your child could be autistic? Yes. Are autistic children born to people with perfect thyroid function? Yes. Do hypothyroid women birth perfectly healthy non-autistic kids? Also yes. 

The odds that your child will not be autistic are very much in your favor. You might as well start worrying about the sky falling too. 

booksandicecream

I was going to respond to this but @NoraAurora already said it all 
Most important: ASD is caused by neurological abnormalities. Yes, some environmental factors increase the chances of these occurring but we have no consistent data about what they are. Genetics play a higher role and there's nothing you can do to change that. I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep an open communication with your doctors and teachers and all will be well

Kc0825

I was diagnosed with this disease in 2010. My DH and I had our son in 2013. All through my pregnancy it was never mentioned to me about this. And this time also. They make sure they check my levels more but I'm sure if it was a possibility that my doctor's would have mentioned somehting to me at some point. I trust them. My son is 3 and he is very healthy and active. This time I see my obgyn and a fetal specialist (for athe babys kidneys) and even the fetal specialist has now worries about that. My advice is the same stay off Google it only makes you worry more. Just ask your doctor and do what you're doing by asking other woman who are dealing with it. 

LMNOBaby

I've dealt with hypothyroidism for almost 10 years, and when I got pregnant in February, my OB sent me to an endocrinologist because my levels were too high.  Since she adjusted my dosage, I'm well into the normal range... Since seeing the endocrinologist, there has been NO mention of autism as a potential "side effect."  However, going through pregnancy without medication to regulate my thyroid was not an option - in fact, my high numbers in the beginning was the biggest alert/concern of my pregnancy so far.  My doctors went into immediate action to regulate it.  So, whether or not there are risks of autism, there's nothing I can do to PREVENT hypothyroidism and I believe the risks of NOT treating it are far greater...  Better to not worry about any potential risks until they're a reality!!

von1976

Great, another thing to worry about.

If your thyroid has been well controlled during the pregnancy, for all intents and purposes, you have not been hypothyroid during the pregnancy. So even if there is a link (which I highly, highly doubt--not even having glanced at the research), it's extremely unlikely your baby will be affected.

Another thing to note is that correlation does not equal causation--even if they've found in some instances that hypothyroidism correlates to autism does not mean it causes it. There was a study I just saw pop up on Facebook where children who ate fast food 3x per week were more likely to do poorly in school... You know who eats fast food 3x or more per week? Kids of low socioeconomic status. You know who tends not to attend school regularly, have less parental support (because it takes multiple jobs working minimum wage as a single parent to pay the rent), turn in homework less frequently, and overall do more poorly in school? Kids of low socioeconomic status. This is correlation, not causation.

TheBeeCharmer

Yes, apparently now taking Tylenol causes autism. And lack of maternal vitamin D. Something new every day. 

allison_smith_6212

Hello to another hypothyroid mother  

I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism for 8 years, and this is pregnancy #2 while taking Synthroid.  As previous posts have said, I've never been told anything about there being a connection with Autism, even after meeting with specialists.  The only concern was wanting to double check and make sure levels are in the "normal" range and being managed throughout the pregnancy because not doing anything it could lead to miscarriage, maternal anemia, pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, postpartum hemorrhage, premature delivery, low birth weight.  

With this pregnancy - my doctor tested my levels right after I found out I was pregnant and we had to up my medication, we then have followed up and had a test at each trimester to make sure the current dosage is still doing what it needs to, and so far it has.  She also said during the third trimester we'll likely do a couple of ultrasounds just to make sure that growth is still where it should be.  First pregnancy, I had an 8 pound, 6 oz baby with my first pregnancy even though throughout my entire pregnancy every 6 weeks we were increasing the dosage to the next level since they were outside the normal range.    

I'd recommend to calm your nerves with possible link to autism, like you said in your post, your levels have been coming back normal - so I wouldn't think you have anything to worry about.  

Michi1382

Thank you so much for your responses, everyone. As a STM I should know by now to stay away from Dr. Google. You're all right--autism is "linked to" so many factors and it's hard to distinguish what is what when doctors aren't even sure. Either way, thank you for your comforting words and here's to healthy pregnancies regardless! 

mimi603107

Lurking from December 2016

Hi, I saw this post and wanted to comment. I have two sons who are 7 and 3 and I've been treated for hypothyroidism for 8 plus years now. My oldest was diagnosed with ASD, my youngest has not and never once have my doctors or by my son's specialists or therapists mentioned that my having been treated for hypothyroidism was a potential reason for my son having autism. I think if that were the case then my youngest son's risk for having autism would be a lot higher, consider he has a sibling with autism which increases his risk from 1 in 68 to 1 in 5.  The thing is that there are so many things that are said to cause autism these days and until there's concrete evidence, you'll never know for sure. We have no family history for autism in my family or dh's...my son is the first, I stayed away from everything they tell you to avoid during pregnancy, I took prenatal vitamins throughout my pregnancy, had my thyroid levels regularly checked, ate well, was active....and I still have a son with autism. Sometimes you might never know why things happen the way they do. 

Michi1382

@mimi603107 Thank you for your input! There are definitely so many unknown causes of autism and it's so difficult to link it. I had never thought of it until I read that article. Good luck with your pregnancy!